Dalene's Book Reviews

Welcome to my blog, it is mostly about books, I host promo's for promotion companies, I do reviews and Interviews, and sometimes guests posts. I read many genres, but my favorites are Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Historical Romances and Dystopian.

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Thursday, November 17, 2016

Eleanor, a timid orphan, has no clue to her real purpose, but she also has no desire to become a subservient old maid, like the miserable nuns she is forced to with. Eleanor believes Edward, whom she loves, will save her from being forced to take vows. She knows Mother Superior has no intention of letting her leave–her songs are the only thing keeping the grey mist at bay. Her devastation is complete when she discovers Edward is a prince and heir to the throne, but it is the impetus she needs to leave the safety of the abbey and go in search of her long lost father.

She doesn’t get far before discovering her true destiny. With only her instincts to protect her, she must match wits with a powerful being intent on the destruction of her world. If she does not find The Perfect Tear and release its healing power into the land, she will become an accomplice in the destruction of all she loves.

Connie Lansberg is a singer/songwriter, scriptwriter and now author with the publication of her first book The Perfect Tear. Connie studied script writing at AFTR and has had songs placed in major Australian TV series. She has just complete an album of songs connected to the book and will be performing these live at her weekly jazz gig in Melbourne.

I would like to thank the author for gifting me this book. I enjoyed reading this story it is well written. The characters are well developed and the storyline is good. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

In the mystical realm of the Cavern, Akarra is Shardshaper to the quartzian people who inhabit it. Fashioned from quartz and filled with enchanted light, the quartzians are a strong and hearty people. Akarra is no exception. But when destiny intervenes, she must choose between the he-quartz she loves and the life path she lives for. Which shall she choose?

Excerpt:

Akarra cut off the deathlight and lowered the Heartshard to the floor in front of her. She passed a cursory glance over the icosahedron, pleased with her work. Then, she expulsed a ripple of joyful golden lifelight. She’d never formed an icosahedron before, and was quite happy with her success.

Yridia smiled then doubled over as she was seized with a round of violent shimmering and coughing again. Her body flickered through a dozen colors, many not from the standard spectrum, but instead a mix from those basic colors. After a moment she straightened, cleared her throat, and said, “You have done well, student. Now name the five perfect solids, describe them, and tell me what they represent.”

It was an easy question, but Akarra bowed her head once again, and dutifully responded, “The first is the tetrahedron; it has four triangular sides and represents fire. The second is the hexahedron; it has six square sides and represents earth. Third is the octahedron with eight triangular sides; it represents air. Fourth is the dodecahedron; it has twelve pentagons for sides and represents ether. Finally, there is the icosahedron which I have just formed here—”she gestured toward the crystal. “It has twenty triangular sides and represents water.”

“Excellent,” Yridia said. “You have done well, student. Now, tell me: Which element can form a dual only with itself?”

Another easy question.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Matthew D. Ryan is a published author living in upstate New York on the shores of Lake Champlain. His work has been featured on-line at Aphelion.com and YesteryearFiction.com. He has been deeply involved in the fantasy genre for most of his life as a reader, writer, and game designer. He is the operator of the web-site matthewdryan.com which features his blog, “A Toast to Dragons,” a blog dedicated to fantasy literature, and, to a lesser extent, sci-fi. Mr. Ryan says he receives his inspiration from his many years as an avid role-player and fantasy book reader. He has spent many long hours devising adventures and story-lines as well as gaming systems for role-playing games, playing a motley assortment of characters in RPG worlds, as well as digesting the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan, and others. As a result, he has great depth of experience in the fantasy genre and feels it was a natural shift for him to move into fantasy writing.

Mr. Ryan is the author of the exciting dark fantasy novel, Drasmyr, The Children of Lubrochius, and The Sceptre of Morgulan, as well as a growing number of short stories. His first novel, Drasmyr, won the book of the month award on Long and Short Reviews: Young Adult for the month of September 2012. The story features a traditional Dracula type vampire in a Middle-Earth type setting. It is a dark fantasy geared toward teens and adults that has consistently earned reviews in the four and five star range. Drasmyr serves as the prequel to his series: From the Ashes of Ruin. In addition to Drasmyr, The Children of Lubrochius, and The Sceptre of Morgulan, Mr. Ryan has published several short stories on-line, including: “Haladryn and the Minotaur”(published at the now defunct Pegasus On-line), “The River’s Eye”(published at YesteryearFiction.com) , “Escape”(published at Aphelion.com), and the three-story collection Of Dragons, Love, and Poison.. His latest work is the stand-alone novella “Prism,” a startling fantasy story of unique character. He has also spoken on the topic of “World-Building” utilizing his considerable experience as an author and game-designer. When not engrossed in his fantasy worlds, Mr. Ryan can be found volunteering at the local food shelf or playing with his cat, “Confucius,” who is as wise and wily as his name suggests.

Monday, November 14, 2016

She's funny, cynical, and kinda crazy, but she knows how to tell a story.

A struggling writer living in Manhattan, Jacy McMasters is the first to admit she's a terrific liar and a screw-up. Then the ghost of the famous novelist JD Balinger asks her to "channel" a follow-up to his classic coming of age book The Watcher in the Sky. Along with her new boyfriend, a bear of a man who has no patience for mind games, the ghost in Jacy's head forces her to confront a lifetime of secrets—dark secrets. Secrets she's been keeping from herself.

Excerpt:

When I woke up the next day, I felt awful. My eyes were swollen shut so I had to tumble out of bed and crawl through clustering dust-devils to the bathroom. I'd suffered worse hangovers after overindulging, but there was a real sharp edge to this one. When I steamed my eyes open with a hot wash cloth, I noticed it right away.

I was still hallucinating.

"You look bad, Jacy my girl," JD said from his cross-legged perch on my wicker laundry hamper. "First thing we need to do is ease back on the hard core boozing."

I screamed once or twice before he uncrossed his spidery limbs and said, "Don't be a ninny. You know who I am, that I come from you. From your own deranged mind. So what's the sense of yelling, disturbing your neighbors?"

He had a point. I calmed a little and said, "You may be an illusion, my illusion. But that does not mean you can stay in my bathroom while I shower."

He shrugged, brushed by me on his way out. "I'll make coffee. And when you come out, all fresh and bright-eyed, we'll discuss how I can save you. Help dislodge you from your habitual cycle of wanton, destructive choices. No more dabbling. Time for you to shed your loser image, child. It is high time. Take my word."

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Originally from Boston, Mickey J. Corrigan writes sexy thrillers and kooky romances. Recent books include the edgy novellas in The Hard Stuff series (Whiskey Sour Noir, Vodka Warrior, Tequila Dirty, and RealLife Rum); the thriller Sugar Babies; and the spoofy crime novels The Blow Off and Ex-Treme Measures. Salt Publishing will release Project XX, a crime novel, in 2017.

I was gifted this book by the author. It was a very enjoyable psychological thrill-ride. The characters are well developed and written. I love the storyline it has you starting out thinking one thing then you totally wind up somewhere else. Mickey J Corrigan did a fascinating job writing this story, very well done. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Friday, November 11, 2016

Wulf knows Yakira is his soul mate. The only person he needs to convince is her, but with intergalactic terrorists on Yakira’s trail, there’s little time for romance. What’s a hot-blooded Coletti warlord to do?

Yakira feels safe and cherished with Wulf, but he is a Coletti; the ultimate predator with a taste for blood, a passion for battle and the need to control everything in his life. The big question is; how does she make Wulf understand she’s a powerful psychic with kick-ass bionic limbs and quite capable of taking care of herself?

EXCERPT

My thoughts spun back to Wulf. Did I owe him an apology? Yeah I did. “I’m sorry. I never should have doubted you.”

“All I want to do is keep you safe. If I have to force your obedience to achieve that, so be it,” Wulf replied bluntly.

My temper spiked. Here I was, trying to make nice and he was going to be a jerk about it? “You need to realize being forced to do something against my will is abhorrent to me.”

“Obey me, and it won’t be a problem.”

Obey? Arrgh! I fought back the urge to whack Wulf upside the head with the battle ax hanging on his wall. “Gee, thanks for making it so simple that even a mere female can understand.” I stepped into the shower and started scrubbing.

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“What would make you think that?” Once the blood and Gorum slime was off me, I braided my wet hair into warrior braids. After all, I was going to war.

“You are being sarcastic.”

“Who said males were dumb as a rock?”

His tone one of resignation, Wulf asked, “Can we drop the subject for now?”

“Sure, honeybun, anything for you. Smooches.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links

I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Glendale Police Department and to keep from going totally bonkers – I mean people have no idea of what a real emergency is. Take this for an example: I answered, “9-1-1 emergency, what’s your emergency?” And this hysterical woman yelled, “My bird is in a tree.” Sometimes I really couldn’t help myself, so I said, “Birds have a tendency to do that, ma’am.” The woman screeched, “No! You don’t understand. My pet parakeet is in the tree. I’ve just got to get him down.” Like I said, not a clue. “I’m sorry ma’am, but we don’t get birds out of trees.” The woman then cried, “But… What about my husband? He’s up there, too.” See what I had to deal with? To keep from hitting myself repeatedly in the head with my phone, I took up writing.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Once upon a time, I was Morgann, a 9th century Irish calligrapher-monk.

Deirdre was my assignment, my forbidden love, a witch with whom I wrote a coveted book.

Unfortunately, our story didn't get a chance to become a fairy tale, it turned out as a famous urban legend referred as The Black Angel Book.

In order to protect the book from getting in to the wrong hands, Deirdre cast a spell. One where I remember and she forgets. Under her spell, our souls travel from body to body until we find each other again. Eventually.

My quest is to find Deirdre, in whatever body her soul inhabits and trigger her memory. Only, the woman I find 1200 years later is not what I was expecting.

Rose is not my type but my soul yearns for her. Every sign tells me that she is my Deirdre. How do I convince this broken, quiet and unbelieving woman that she is my twice upon a time?

Centuries ago I was Morgann. Albeit I am neither immortal nor a supernatural creature of any kind, I am now an urban legend. For I am something else.
I am a soul that gained awareness of its existence; a wandering soul inhabiting various bodies throughout their mortal life.
A soul longing to be reunited with its soulmate.
Like the fairytale, you know, “Once upon a time…” And the rest of the story unfolds, sometimes with torments, but always with a happy ending. Only that is not how it turned out for us.
So maybe we should try another story line that would end better this time. Let’s say, “Twice upon a time,” maybe?
Anyway. This is what I am.
Centuries later, this soul eventually ended up in my body. Now I feel I can speak on Morgann’s behalf, for I’m him and he’s me. We’re one.
Fearless and hopeful, when Morgann’s body died, his soul began its journey. His body was no longer of use but his soul had lived on, intact, searching for her frantically. Her? Well, that would be Deirdre, a powerful medicine woman accused of being a witch.
Some witnessed my encounter with Deirdre and what followed, back when I was still Morgann. I, Morgann, a monk working on the now infamous Book of Kells. Witch or medicine woman, I couldn’t care less because right from the start I had that gut feeling she was the one for me, even as I had simply stared at the river of shiny black hair falling down to her back. It was meant to be.
Kismet.
Yes, we were undeniably soulmates. Twist of fate? I have no idea but that was how connected our souls were and still are, somehow. What was Deirdre doing there that day in the monastery? I didn’t dare ask. After that, I was already too involved to search for more explanation. My fate was sealed and so was hers. When we were introduced, we grasped at once that we were made for one another as long as we lived. Too bad we hadn’t foreseen our time together would be shortened by greedy people. Hopefully she was resourceful and found a way to escape our fate.
Let me tell you about us.
What did we do wrong?
Well, when you’re a monk, there is no such thing as falling in love and breaking the vows of celibacy but I did. When you’re a medicine woman, there is no such thing as engaging in a passionate relationship with a man, and not just any man but a monk.
So the medicine woman was accused of being a witch for her medicine involved plants, charms and casting spells as well. Truth be told, she was a witch. There was no doubt about it.
Morgann was born in Ireland in the 8th century. When exactly? Not sure. Nobody was good at keeping track around that time. For some reason, though, centuries later I had a dream about the encounter that changed everything; it happened in the year 813.
Shameless, Deirdre and I broke all the rules. Deirdre had been paid to write what she knew about strong medicine and spells. I was one of the chosen script monks who wrote the book in calligraphy with her, for years.
That meaningful book didn’t belong to us. It was theirs. So meaningful they ended up referring to it as poisonous when I’d rather call it visionary. Who were they? The sleeping partners; narrow-minded judgmental people who started to get scared of her. Of us. They needed to destroy us. Deirdre didn’t realize their attempt until it was almost too late.
But we had to stop them once we had apprehended their genuine intentions. Their goal was plain and simple, yet we were too blinded by our love to see it right from the start. They were seeking eternal life. But it didn’t work that way. None of them ever figured out how to cast the right spell at the right time on the chosen person.
When it got out of hand, people’s imagination was already at work. At once, word-of-mouth spread the tale that soon became legendary. Why? Well…who could believe in our true fate? A soul that lived on until reunited with its soulmate, come on!
Soon enough, our legend started. Our peculiar story and the supposedly poisonous book were referred to as the Black Angel Book.

About Hope Irving:

Hope Irving is the proud mother of a lovely and witty young lady, and the lucky wife of a loving and supportive husband. She's a debut indie author who lived in Paris, France, most of her life and also in the US, where she graduated with a master degree.

First, I would like to thank the author for gifting me this book through netgalley. I enjoyed this book very much. The characters are well developed and written. The storyline is well done. I loved Virgil and would like to know even more about him. Rose grew as a character throughout the story, but I felt she didn't listen. I cannot wait to read more from Hope Irving.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Financial planner Cora Siegfried has returned to her hometown to settle her late father’s estate. Get in, get out, that’s the plan. When she’s almost run over by a kilt-wearing hottie on a motorcycle, all her well-laid plans go up in smoke, and all she can think about is getting well laid by her childhood crush. But after what she hoped would be a one-night stand, leaving him might not be as easy. Talk about a tartan temptation.

With his throne on the line, Brodie Murdock needs to secure his kingdom by taking a bride. When the only woman he’s ever wanted steps right into his path, he knows the legends are true. She is his destiny. The feisty female isn’t hard to seduce into his bed for the night, but she’s proving difficult to convince they are meant for forever. And then there’s the secret that could destroy any chance of their future—a secret he’s not ready to confess. Not until his stubborn soul mate admits she needs him for more than sex.

Excerpt:

She walked over to the island and ran her hand across the cold marble top. “How did you end up with the kitchen of my dreams?”

Relief flooded through her when he finally smiled. “It was too big to steal, so I bought it.”

She chuckled.

Brodie pointed to the seat at the island. When she sat down, he continued, “Seriously, when I spotted it, I knew I had to have it.” He opened the cupboard, took out two mugs, and set them on the counter. “It’s really workable. I love eating at the island when I’m not in the living room watching the ocean.”

She gazed over his shoulder at the windows. The mist hung over the sea. He hadn’t acted as if he were happy to see her, but she was hoping the muffins would change his mind. She pushed the box toward him. “For you.”

He turned to faced her. “Guess I should say thanks.”

“Well, open it. If you don’t like it, don’t say thanks.”

He stared at her for a second, sizing up her offering before opening the package. “Muffins.”

“There’s something wrapped in tissue.”

He lifted the white paper from the box and unwrapped the gift. “A key?”

“To the house. I liked your ideas. I want you to understand I trust you.”

He tossed the key into the air and caught it. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I do trust you. I have nothing to lose by trusting you, but I have everything to gain.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kayden loves sexy, well-crafted stories of lust and love. Her sensuous style drives the characters in lustful romps. When she is not crafting erotic romantic stories, she can be found crocheting or making jewelry.

Kayden is a member of Romance Writers of America, Toronto Romance Writers, and Writing Community of Durham Region.

She hopes you enjoy her other books, Hell’s Bounty, Timeless Passion, and Red Hot all published by The Wild Rose Press.

Kayden loves to hear from her readers. You can contact her on Facebook or at her website:

Monday, November 7, 2016

In this exciting new series, the dramatic world of the Vikings is brought to life in vivid, historical detail. As brave warriors fight to defend family honor and tradition, they discover unexpected passion with memorable women who only further their resolve for justice . . .

Following his father’s murder, Eirik Ivarson plunges into a maelstrom of brutal warfare. As outsiders threaten his homeland and all he holds dear, Eirik vows to maintain his focus and avenge the jarl’s death. In his quest for revenge, he will leave everything behind, all he knows, and all he loves.

Asa Sigrundsdottir, a spirited shieldmaiden with warm brown eyes, is wary of the golden-haired warrior discovered half-frozen in a storm. It is clear Eirik is a man of valor, bestowed with the gift of reading runes and destined for greatness. And despite the shadows in her past, he chooses her to help him on his journey. But when their bond is tested, it will take the strength of a hero to keep their love alive . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

She stood before him like a flame-haired Valkyrie—strong, proud, a warrior.

Not as she had been in life.

Eirik Ivarson had seen his dead wife in his dreams before, but in them, she was always as he remembered her—gentle and too weak to survive their brutal world. Her soft blue eyes would gaze at him with reproach like she blamed him for her death, sending her to dwell forever with the goddess Frigga. She’d been right.

But this dream was different and as he struggled to cling to it, she spoke.

“Why do you sleep, husband, while your kinsmen die?” Her eyes darkened into a deep brown as though she was sullied by passing so close to the earth. The vision turned as crimson as the blood that had gushed from her and carried her away from their life together. A scream split his sleep apart.

He tore himself awake and reached for his sword before he even opened his eyes. At least he was still dressed, having fallen across his bed well after midnight, passed out before he’d hit the furs. Head spinning with the mead he’d drunk, he staggered to the door of his small chamber.

Another cry cleared his thoughts. He eased open the door and took in the state of his father’s main hall. An unfamiliar warrior, an outcast from the looks of him, stood over two cowering serving girls.

Another servant lay in his own pooling blood beside them. The attacker raised his sword and the women shrieked again.

Yelling to divert the man’s attention, Eirik bounded across the room. He swung his blade as the invader turned. They clashed, flesh to flesh, iron to iron. Eirik’s momentum smashed them into the wall and the outcast’s head cracked against it. Dazed, he paused for an instant.

It was all Eirik needed.

Using his forearm, he struck the upper edge of the intruder’s shield into his face. His nose shattered. Eirik pushed the shield aside and whipped his blade across the man’s neck. Blood arced down his body as the attacker fell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sabrina Jarema lives near Ocala, Florida, the Horse Capital of the World. She has a herd of fat, lazy Arabians on 40 beautiful acres. She also breeds and shows white German Shepherd Dogs and currently has several Grand Victrixes taking over her house. She’s joined by a menagerie of tortoises, turtles, birds, fish and cats. To avoid farm work as much as possible, she loses herself in the worlds she creates through the novels she writes, her art, music, dollhouses, and jewelry. She has worked as a professional fantasy illustrator and has written fantasy romance for many years.

Recently, she has branched out into historical romances set in the early Viking era. She is currently writing the Viking Lords series, a family saga set in Norway during the ninth century. She is an active member of the Tampa Area Romance Authors chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Please visit her website at sabrinajarema.com to enjoy her art, music, writing, jewelry, and all the other visions the night brings to her.

Widowed and alone, Linnea Powell agrees to swap places with a reluctant mail-order bride. Arriving in Lubbock, Texas, armed only with her future husband’s letters promising a prosperous life, Linnea feels hopeful—until the stagecoach leaves her standing before a handsome stranger who has more ambition than he does prospects. Still, Linnea accepts Sam Kincaid’s proposal, knowing the moment he seals their vows with a hungry kiss, she’ll never be able to keep her past a secret. For her appealing new husband is all too eager to share the marriage bed….

Sam knows there’s something mysterious about his new bride. But that only adds to Linnea’s allure. And when he learns his wife is really a vulnerable widow, he’s even more determined to give her the life and family she dreams of. Sam’s not afraid of hard work, especially when the prize is Linnea’s love. What the rugged rancher doesn’t know is that Linnea has an even bigger secret, one that could destroy his reputation—and shatter his heart….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

“What makes you think you can just step in and take this nice young lady’s identity?”

Still feeling the shake and rattle of riding for days in a stagecoach, Linnea Powell, disgraced widow, tried to ignore her lunch companion’s question. Impossible. The dark-haired, skinny woman was jerking her thumb at the eatery’s newest waitress.

Linnea leaned in to whisper, “Put your finger down or Mr. Philpott will notice you’re upset.”

Jewel Bellingham did drop her hand, but her mouth flattened with disgust.

They both glanced at the reporter, their fellow stagecoach passenger since leaving the East Texas town of Jefferson—one of several waystations on their journey from Shreveport, Louisiana. The man sat at a table for one and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. Despite his hunger for a shocking story, he always refused to break bread with the women, which suited Linnea just fine.

The prig then wiggled on his chair and raised a forkful of pie as if to smell the contents. One side of his mouth lifted in what appeared to be distaste.

The newly hired waitress approached. Carrying a large tray of plates, Ermentrude Flanders winked as she breezed by to deliver the noonday meal to a table of four. Just this morning, when the stage pulled into Fort Worth, the pleasant, flaxen-haired girl had abandoned her seat to ask the proprietor to take down the Waitress Required sign.

“I can understand wanting to better oneself,” Jewel remarked, leaning in to whisper, “but I have a hard time reconciling her future.

She could have been a respectable matron. To take a waitress job, on the off chance she can quit if a highfalutin bunch of Fort Worth doctors will allow her to study medicine at their school? Not likely.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Martha Hix is an internationally and multi published, award winning author. Living in the breathtakingly fabulous Texas Hill Country, she is blessed with a husband, two daughters and one son-in-law, their children, many friends and relatives, and has a house filled with books and spoiled four legged kids. She enjoys volunteering for good causes, and is an election judge and precinct chair for her county. She loves to hang out with her WINOS and Slacker girlfriends, and with her writing muse, Barbara Catlin. Visit her on the web at marthahix.com.

First, I would like to thank Lyrical Press for gifting me this book through netgalley. I enjoyed this novelette. The characters are well developed and written. The storyline is good. I look forward to reading more books by Martha Hix.

All Marcus Granton wants is to be left alone to lick his wounds after the humiliating scandal of his wife’s death in another man’s bed. Secluded in his moldering seaside estate on the cliffs of the North Sea, he suddenly finds himself host to Lady Lilian Martin, one small child, and an annoying cache of servants all bent on ruining his solitude. Seems the lady got herself into a bit of a pickle and is accused of murder, of all things. Now she must rely on him for protection—and to keep his thoughts and hands away from her delectable body.

Lilian has no intention of spending any more time with the insufferable Lord Marcus Granton than she has to. But at every turn, circumstances force her into his company, and by the time she’s ready to make her escape, it's far too late for her . . . and her heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

Lilian would never forget the first time she encountered Marcus Dunford. He was naked and glistening with sweat and the most glorious thing she had ever seen.

Not entirely naked. Had that been the case, she might have fainted dead away and been discovered, no doubt from the thump that would have sounded when she hit the marble floor.

If only her mother could live a few years longer, the girls would be financially set. Their grandmother had settled quite a large sum of money aside for her only grandchildren, but it would only be available to them after they turned twenty-five, and that was seven long years away. Lilian would have happily lived in Cornwall in their little manor house if only her mother would live just a bit longer. But she would not. As much as Lilian tried to deny the truth, it was difficult to ignore that Anne was withering away before her very eyes and it wouldn’t be long before she was bedridden.

Which was why Lilian would say yes if the Duke of Weston proposed and also why, when she saw him talking to another gentleman in the hall, she quickly ducked into the nearest room and hid. Not very adult of her, but there it was. And there she was when two strapping young men entered the room, unbeknownst to Lilian, bragging about which one could do more push-ups.

Lilian had hidden herself behind the curtains of a bow window and was quite obscured by bushes from anyone who might pass by outside and by the heavy velvet curtain from anyone inside. What she hadn’t realized was how very warm she would be in her little hothouse of a hiding place. She quickly became drowsy, and fell asleep, only to be awakened by the low tones of two men, one of whom was counting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jane Goodger lives in Rhode Island with her husband and three children. Jane, a former journalist, has written seven historical romances. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading, walking, playing with her kids, or anything else completely unrelated to cleaning a house.

First, I would like to thank Lyrical Press for gifting me this book through netgalley. I loved this story from start to finish. The characters are well developed and written. The storyline is written well. I look forward to reading more from Jane Goodger, especially when she wrote a first time love scene for the couple and I actually felt it was a very convincing first time. It's the first time I have ever actually enjoyed reading a virgin love scene. I am going to say that it's nice to feel the realism of a virgin love scene considering I have never experienced this in all the years I have been reading books.

For years, Christopher Hart has given readers the tools and techniques needed to learn how to draw and cartoon. With the Doodletopia series, Hart offers us a chance to practice and perfect our artistic skills. For this latest title, Hart returns to the lush, gorgeous, and mystical subject of fairies. Doodletopia: Fairies provides aspiring fantasy artists and fairy fans with activities to stimulate their creativity. After covering the basics of rendering these characters, Hart sets us loose to interact with the book's many exercises and challenges. Pairing the informative content for which Hart is beloved with myriad opportunities for creative expression, Doodletopia: Fairies offers aspiring artists the next level of interactive art instruction.

Christopher Hart is the world’s best-selling author of How-To-Draw books. Readers have gobbled up over six million copies of his titles, and his work has been translated into more than 20 languages. Chris has had the rare distinction of having the top 1, 2 & 3 art books in the country, simultaneously, as reported by Nielsen BookScan.

Chris is known for his ability to create cute and dramatic characters, brimming with personality. He focuses on the most contemporary styles, genres, and techniques, in order to give his readers and fans the very latest in art instruction.

He has hosted How-To-Draw episodes for Comcast’s Activity TV channel and has been featured on 20 videos for Howcast. His work has been licensed to art kits, board games and sports equipment. In addition to his artwork, Chris wrote original screenplays for 20th Century Fox and other networks and was a staff writer on several NBC prime time comedies.

Chris studied art at the California School of the Arts, Paier School of Art, and the Silvermine School of Art. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from New York University.

Chris loves interacting with his readers. He says, “It’s a privilege to be published as a cartoonist. I’m grateful to my readers, who make it happen. So if I can give something back, by offering a little encouragement, answering a question, or giving advice, why wouldn’t I?"

I love it, the instructions are easy to read and the illustrations are great and very helpful. My seven year old grandson Gavin has been drawing fairies ever since I got the book in the mail. He loves it and it easy for him to follow, so it is very good for children who want to learn how to draw as well as adults. Each chapter gives you something new to learn and add to your pictures. Chapter one starts with heads. I look forward to getting more books by Christopher Hart. Thank you Christopher for gifting and sending me this book through Blogging for Books.

Firebird Alex didn’t know much about the Nephilim until they assassinated her friend in the United States government, kidnapped the man she considers her uncle, and tried to murder her—twice. Now she's learned that they, and their leader "the Watcher,” will stop at nothing to kill her, everyone she loves, and every Seduman on Earth.

Alex must stop their murderous plans even if it means compromising the heroine she’s become.

Orren Merton started writing fantasy and science fiction at an embarrassingly young age. In high school, he picked up guitar and start playing up and down California in a few bands, culminating in his industrial rock band Ember After. During that time, magazines, developers, and corporations began to pay him to write and edit music software related articles, manuals, and books. Since then he has written the urban fantasy novel The Deviant and the science fiction novel Skye Entity before working on The Sedumen Chronicles, his current series of urban fantasy YA novels. He lives in Southern California with his family, pets, collection of sci-fi/fantasy memorabilia, and curiously large stuffed animal collection.

First, I would like to thank the author Orren Merton for gifting me this book. I really enjoyed this book, but feel like I missed out, because I hadn't read the first four books. The characters are well developed and written. The storyline is good and I look forward to reading more from this author.

While on routine patrol in the tinder-dry Topanga Canyon, environmental scientist Rafael Salazar expects to find animal poachers, not a dilapidated antique steamer trunk. Inside the peculiar case, he discovers a journal, written by the renowned Robert Louis Stevenson, which divulges ominous particulars about his creation of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It also promises to reveal a terrible secret—the identity of Jack the Ripper.

Unfortunately, the journal—whose macabre tale unfolds in an alternating narrative with Rafe’s—isn’t the only relic in the trunk, and Rafe isn’t the only one to purloin a souvenir. A mysterious flask containing the last drops of the grisly potion that inspired Jekyll and Hyde and spawned London’s most infamous killer has gone missing. And it has definitely fallen into the wrong hands.

Robert Masello is an award-winning journalist, TV writer, and the bestselling author of many novels and nonfiction books. His most recent thriller, entitled THE EINSTEIN PROPHECY (47 North), hit the # 1 spot in the Amazon Kindle store. Previous books include BLOOD AND ICE, THE MEDUSA AMULET, and THE ROMANOV CROSS, all published by Bantam/Random House.
He is also the author of two popular studies of the Occult -- FALLEN ANGELS AND SPIRITS OF THE DARK and RAISING HELL: A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE BLACK ARTS.
His books on writing include WRITER TELLS ALL, A FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS, and the classroom staple, ROBERT'S RULES OF WRITING.
His TV credits include such popular shows as "Charmed," "Sliders," Early Edition," and "Poltergeist: the Legacy."

A native of Evanston, Illinois, he studied writing at Princeton University under Robert Stone and Geoffrey Wolff, and now lives a few blocks from the beach in Santa Monica, CA.

First, I would like to thank the author for gifting me the book through netgalley. I enjoyed this story and was very surprised at the ending. The characters are well developed and written. The plot is very good. I would like to read more from this author.

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I am a mother of four children and grandmother of nine children. I live in Tennessee. I like to make friends from every where... I love to read and I spend a lot of time with my grandbabies. My children are Damien, Justin Dean (3/11/1986 - 5/26/2001), Kaleb & Kayla. My grandbabies are Damien:Adam, Azariah, Justin & Darien; Kaleb:Destiny, Dallas & Kalen; Kayla:Gavin & Leiland.